Perspectives

I love all things Cubisty - possibly not a real word - but they made up their own rules and so shall I!

David Martin RSW RGI - Ace of Clubs

Cubism was one of the most influential art movements of the twentieth century. It was begun by the powerhouses that were the Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1882-1973) and Georges Braque (French, 1882-1963) in 1907. 

Pablo Picasso - Three Musicians

Georges Braques - The Apple

They were greatly inspired by African sculpture, and by the painters Paul Cezanne (French, 1839-1906) and Georges Seurat (French, 1859-1891).

Paul Cezanne - Victoire

Georges Seurat - Sunday Afternoon on The Island of La Grande

Picasso and Braque initiated the movement when they followed the advice of Paul Cézanne, who in 1904 said artists should treat nature "in terms of the cylinder, the sphere and the cone."  The subject matter is broken up, analysed and reassembled in an abstracted form.

I have always been fascinated by these works, and about the uncompromising way in which these artists created paintings that flew in the face of what had come before.  It was a breath of liberating, creative, fresh air that has possibly influenced most artists since.

David Martin RSW RGI - The Round Table

It said it was okay to look at things differently from the way we are taught to process the world around us.  It says there is perhaps more than one way in which we occupy our world.

David Martin RSW RGI - Four Green Beans

I have therefore always been drawn to the works of David Martin.  Born only forty years after Picasso and Braques, it was perhaps inevitable that the young artist would be inspired by these incredible fathers of modern art.  Being in his late eighties now, David has been through many movements of his own, but these paintings are my personal favourites.

I find them inspiring and exciting, and I am thrilled to be exhibiting them just now at the gallery as part of a three person exhibition alongside Sian MacQueen RSW and David Smith RSW.

http://smithygallery.co.uk/currentExhibitions.htm

Thanks for reading!


Natalie

Women in Love

Carlo Rossi's career spanned seventy years, and part of the beauty of having this retrospective exhibition of works through the decades, is the different focus that becomes apparent at different times in his life.

Throughout his career, but particularly later in life, Carlo's love for the beauty of Italy can be see most frequently.

Palazzi on The Canal Grande, Venice, 2001

Bomarzo, Lazio, 2005

Monteriggioni, Siena, 2004

From the 1950s onwards, Carlo was inspired by the Cubist movement when is came to his still life painting. This early 20th century movement pioneered by Picasso and Braque was incredibly influential, changing the face of painting forever, and would be impossible for a young artist to ignore.

Duet, 1982

Carlo was very successful at deconstructing the objects and the space around them, creating bold reconstructions but also very subtle ones.

Still Life Bisleri, 1975

But it's a group of paintings in 1955 that fascinate me.  Carlo's body of work is mainly made up of landscape and still life, but around this time, there is a series of female figures in all their differing moods.

Blue Girl, 1955

Nude With Crossed Arms, 1955

Girl in Green Dress, 1955

I guess it's not surprising that a man in his mid-twenties may have been preoccupied with love.  And I think Carlo was a true romantic

Donne Innamorate, 1955

This stunning painting - Women in Love - is classical in style and an unashamed ode to the gentleness and warmth of love.  It is optimistic and peaceful, and I think this painting reflects the nature of the man the most.




Thanks for reading!


Natalie